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A Bluestone Preservation Program - DRAFT
For Kingston, New York

Bluestone, bricks, and limestone cement played a significant part in Kingston’s 19th and early 20th century industry.  These local materials, most notably bluestone, were used in building Kingston’s streets, curbs, buildings, and other structures.  Today, the original bluestone continues to be a valued part of Kingston’s visible character.  Its presence contributes to the “sense of place” that attracts people to live in Kingston or to visit it.  With the passage of time, however, historic bluestone is gradually being replaced by more modern and, though in some cases cheaper, often less visually appealing and characterful alternatives. 

At the beginning of 2008, a considerable amount of the bluestone that was laid for sidewalks, curbstones, and walls (usually near structures that date to before 1930 but, in some cases, later) remains in evidence.  It can be found not only in the city’s four historic districts but throughout the city wherever older buildings and infrastructure are to be found.  It is a visual feature that in some senses holds the city together, uptown, midtown, and downtown – not only in the historic districts.  However, a considerable amount of our historic bluestone has disappeared, sometimes covered over with asphalt, sometimes replaced with concrete.   Unless the City and its residents take action, bluestone will continue to disappear and, as this happens, one of the city’s most significant features will be lost forever.

This paper outlines a bluestone (and other historic materials) preservation program for consideration by Kingston’s citizens and government.  It suggests five coordinated actions that can be taken:

Amend Kingston’s City Code: First Draft of a Proposed Amendment

Currently (as of January 7, 2008), the City of Kingston does somewhat protect bluestone sidewalks within the historic districts in Section 355-5 of the City’s Zoning Code.  We believe additional protection is needed and that it should extend to all parts of the City that historically have had bluestone sidewalk and other features.  

Accordingly, the following is proposed as a substitute for the existing code:

All property owners in the City of Kingston, whether or not their property has been designated as a historic landmark or is in a historic district, must apply through the Building Department for a permit to remove, [significantly] repair, replace, or otherwise change any historic building material on their property, including bluestone, bricks, or local limestone that was installed prior to 1900 [1930?].  Property will be deemed to include private and public sidewalks, carriage stones, and curbing.  Issuance of permit will require approval of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission using publicly available  guidelines and its own judgement.

For purposes of this article, the City of Kingston itself and all its departments  will be considered property owners and its property will be deemed to include all streets, sidewalks, walls, curbstones, and other like appurtenances as well as buildings.  As property owner, the City must also apply for review of plans to repair or replace bluestone in sidewalks, curbs, walls, or other features. Contractors of City work are likewise subject to this article and may apply for review on behalf of the City as property owner.

When temporarily removing bluestone or any other sidewalk or infrastructure for excavating or other purposes, the City or owner (or their representative) will need a building permit and must relay and restore the removed sidewalk with the same materials to its original appearance.  If the City is temporarily removing an owner’s sidewalk, curbstone, or other feature, the owner must receive 15 days notification by mail in advance of such disturbance.  The City will make every effort to restore the disturbed feature in the shortest possible time.

No corporation or person shall make marks on bluestone sidewalks or other features with permanent or difficult-to-remove marking pens, chalk, or other markers.  Where the City or infrastructure providers need to identify water mains, power lines, and other appurtenances, other identifying means should be used that do not visually detract from the feature being marked.

Any party with a [heavy] vehicle who drives over bluestone sidewalk or into a bluestone driveway (other than the building owner who is already responsible for the sidewalk or driveway) must first get approval of the building owner or the owner’s representative or otherwise will be held liable by the City on behalf of the owner for any needed repair.   

A responsible party (including the City) who does not comply with this article can be required by the City and its Corporation Counsel to rectify the results of such non-compliance, including the cost of undoing any inappropriate work and materials and the purchase and installation of older seasoned bluestone at the thickness and quality original to the site.  Any resident can initiate such action by writing a letter to the Mayor with copies to the Corporation Counsel, City Planner and Landmarks Commission Chairman.
 
{Consider adding a specification for sidewalk bluestone in terms of thickness, color?, patina or age?, see NYC proposal.]

Develop Guidelines and Education

Perhaps as important as a codified mandate to protect the City’s bluestone should be an ongoing program of education to help motivate building owners to treasure and protect their part of the City’s bluestone heritage.  At the same time, the City should exploit its bluestone in its ongoing program to attract and delight tourists and new residents.

Some information about bluestone already exists and could be put to immediate use.  In fact, some information is already being used occasionally and as part of the annual Bluestone Festival, which is now four years old.

Here are some ideas:

 

Identify Bluestone Resources

Building owners, the City, historians, visitors, and the general public from time to time all seek information about bluestone: its history, outstanding examples of it, where to find and buy bluestone of various kinds, who works with bluestone (artisans, masons, and quarry owners), experts on its history or physical characteristics (geologists?), how to lay it or repair it, and where to see exhibits about it.  One comprehensive, easily updated publication should provide all of this information.  One possibility would be to include it in the Web site, perhaps both integrated into the site content but also in a downloadable (PDF) format.  This publication would include:

 

Create Incentives to Restoration

Laying or relaying an older bluestone sidewalk can be expensive because it requires expert and careful (and therefore expensive) labor in addition to the cost of the stone itself, which, especially in the typical thickness and quality of the older bluestone, can also be expensive.  By providing financial incentives to restoration, building owners will be encouraged to do restoration where otherwise they might not. 

Include Bluestone Sidewalk Restoration in the City Budget

The City itself can demonstrate its support for bluestone restoration by planning to restore prominently visible stretches of sidewalk or other features on an ongoing basis, budgeting for it through taxes or through Community Development or other grant sources.  Building owners whose sidewalks were once bluestone but who acquired a property with an asphalt sidewalk could apply for consideration in the City’s ongoing restoration program.   

Appendix A.  Possible Model for Bluestone Sidewalk Restoration Guideline

The following is an excerpt from New York City’s Guidelines and Materials Checklist for Performing Work on Landmarked Buildings that pertains to that city’s bluestone sidewalks.  The full guideline is available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/pubs/workguide.pdf.  Does Kingston, a city in which bluestone is far more characteristic, value its bluestone less than New York City does?

(We owe a note of thanks to Ed Pell for discovering this model and bringing it to everyone’s attention.)

Sidewalks

PROPOSED SPECIFICATIONS FOR RESET AND NEW BLUESTONE SIDEWALKS

GENERAL NOTES AND PROCEDURES

1. The project intent is to preserve as much of the existing bluestone pavement as possible, consistent with the need to replace broken and badly spalled stone.
2. All new sidewalk materials are to match existing bluestone in color and original size of flags.
3. The project intent is to preserve and reestablish the original hand-tight joint pattern of bluestone flags. The flags to be replaced or reset are those presenting potential hazards to users or which do not maintain the historic pattern. In these locations, new flagging is to replicate the dimensions of the existing, except where the flags being replaced are inappropriate (too small or too narrow, running in the wrong direction, etc.).
4. Finish of the surface of the flags shall be natural cleft, with a variation in smoothness not exceeding 1/8 inch.
5. The project will address and correct all conditions noted in any Department of Transportation violation notice, so that upon reinspection the D.O.T. violation will be removed.

BLUESTONE
Minimum 2" thick, new or dressed and reset bluestone flags. New flags to be New York State bluestone. All bluestone to be solid, reed-free stone, free from any defects which impair strength, durability, or appearance. All exposed surfaces to be naturally cleft (see note 4 above). Edges can be sawn, rubbed, or thermal. Before proceeding with any work under this contract, the contractor must submit for approval two or more sets of samples of the stone specified, which are typical of the extremes of color, texture, and quality of stock and finish.
Samples are to be at least 4" by 6" by 2" thick. Each sample must be labeled with the type of stone; finish, source, and supplier. Bluestone delivered must be equal in all respects to the approved samples. The color range is to approximate as closely as possible the existing bluestone sidewalk. Bluestone must be carefully shipped, handled, stored, and set to prevent breakage, staining, or other damage. Existing flags to be dressed and reset are to be removed and handled with the utmost care.
BASE
Existing base of bluestone flags, and new base in area presently paved with concrete that is to be replaced with bluestone, to be leveled to appropriate grade, excavating where necessary to provide a minimum of 4" base, including underneath any pedestrian ramps. New base material to be limestone or traprock screenings, consisting of hard, durable, sharpedged fragments, free from any deleterious matter. No recycled screenings will be accepted.  100% passing 1/2" square-opening screen, 20% to 40% passing 20-mesh sieve, 5% to 15%
passing 200 mesh sieve. After spreading, screenings must be saturated and compacted.

JOINTS AND PATCHING
Joints are to be hand tight. After setting flags, the setting bed mixture (1 part portland cement and 7 parts clean sand) is to be brushed into the joints. Irregularities in flag size of old flags or adjacent curbs or walls may result in sore larger joints. These joints are to be pointed with mortar to match the bluestone color. In order to salvage larger, historic flags which have spalled, small amounts of cementitious patching may be undertaken, as directed by the site supervisor only, using a mixture incorporating bluestone dust to match the existing stone. Where historic flags that are reset have an irregular surface that would create a
trip hazard at the joint, the joint may be ground down to produce a level surface, only as directed by the site supervisor. Every effort shall be made to reset the flag so that grinding is not necessary.

CONCRETE TINT SPECIFICATIONS
TO SIMULATE THE COLOR OF DARK GREY BLUESTONE:
DAVIS Color No. 884
3 lbs. per 100 lbs. Light Grey Portland Cement and sand
(Phone Frank D. Davis Company at 800-346-9433.)
or
LANSCO Color No. 437 "Strong Black"
5 lbs. per 94 lbs. Light Grey Portland Cement and 3 parts sand
(Phone Landers-Segal Color Company at 201-779-5001.)
or
SCOFIELD Chromic Admixture, "Cool Black" No. 4
1 five-sack-mix bag per 5 ninety-four-lb. bags Medium Grey Portland Cement and sand or
SCOFIELD "Landmarks Grey" K-157-4
(Phone Michael De Candia at L.M. Scofield Company at 201-342-1380) or
Other equal sample must be provided for approval.
TO SIMULATE THE COLOR OF LIGHT TO MEDIUM GREY GRANITE:
DAVIS Color No. 884
1 lb. per 100 lbs. Light Grey Portland Cement and sand
or
LANSCO Color No. 437 "Strong Black"
2.5 lbs. per 94 lbs. Light Grey Portland Cement and 3 parts sand
or
SCOFIELD Chromic: Admixture "Cool Black" No. I
1 five-sack-mix bag per 5 ninety-four-lb. bags Medium Grey Portland Cement and sand or Other equal sample must be provided for approval

Questions to Consider

What role should there be for the City Planner in this progam?  Should this be reflected in review of new development proposals?  Shouldn’t they be the ones to spell out bluestone sidewalk standards?

What role, if any, for the Building Safety department in regard to building permits and/or enforcement?

What role should the Public Works Director have here?

How could local aldermen help or be involved?

Is the NYC model specification for bluestone restoration appropriate for Kingston?  How useful has it been in NYC?

 

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